Saturday Afternoon, October 27, 2001

La Boh�me

The production by Zeffirelli is as effective as always. For further reading go to my review of last year's presentation (La Boheme).

It was an uneventful afternoon at the MET. I went to listen for the first time to Ram�n Vargas. I was unimpressed. He surely is musical and his high notes are good. But it is a very small voice and the sound lacks bloom (or "ping" as most critics commonly refer to). It is a high voice so the lows are not there at all and there is not much dynamics either. It does not help he is not a good actor. Giordani last year was much better.

Patricia Racette was Mimi. The first two acts posed problems for her, the voice has a good deal of vibrato and lacks the clean emission necessary for these acts. Her "Mi chiamano Mimi" was dull. She improved in Act 3 and was good by Act 4 but then it is too late. I though her Violetta to be much more interesting (see La Traviata).

Emily Pulley was a routine Musetta but lacked sparkle and bloom to make more impression.

Bruno Caproni was an uneventful Marcello. John Relyea was also uneventful as Colline. Earle Patriarco was a good Schaunard though.